


One Little Dance

by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead



Series: Countdown Week Prompts [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien is a prince, Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/M, Marinette is a seamstress, This is as close to a fairytail as I can get
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-04 14:44:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5337989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead/pseuds/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Day 3 of Countdown Week!</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Little Dance

**Author's Note:**

> Again, I took liberties with the prompt. This time I wrote a medieval AU, which may or may not count as a fairy tail.

Adrien Agreste was the crown prince of a wealthy and powerful nation, but he wasn't happy about it. He loathed meetings with the noblemen, detested their greed and uncaring attitude toward their subjects. He felt caged by the formal events and boring paperwork he was given, and helpless because he wasn't allowed any actual influence in the kingdom. His father, King Gabriel, ruled with an iron fist, and Adrien was expected to represent the king's views and fulfill his expectations, regardless of Adrien's own opinions on anything.

So one night, Adrien slipped out of the castle, dressed in a knight's uniform he stole from the armory. No one questioned him as he made his way out of the palace. Once he left the palace grounds, he found himself in the kingdom's capital. He made his way to the first lit building he saw: a tavern. When he stepped inside, a wave of warmth, light, and noise washed over him. Behind the bar was a huge but kind-looking man - the tavern owner, Adrien guessed. A short woman bustled between the tables - the owner's wife? a serving girl, maybe? - which held a wide variety of people. Adrien walked to the last empty table and sat down.

"We don't get many knights here," the short woman said as she approached him. Adrien smiled.

"I just thought it would be nice to get away from the palace for the night," he explained. The woman nodded understandingly.

"Well, sir knight, it's an honor to have you here. I'm Mylène, the tavern owner's wife," she told him. "Is there anything I can get for you? Some ale, maybe?"

"Some cider would be nice," Adrien answered. Mylène raised an eyebrow.

"Suit yourself. Never heard of a knight who drank cider before," she commented.

"I want to keep my wits so I can take everything in," Adrien explained. Mylène shrugged.

"Like I said, suit yourself. I'll bring your cider over in a minute, okay?" She left before he could answer or ask the price of that cider. Adrien turned his attention to the far corner, where a musician was beginning to play. Adrien listened as the musician played a soft ballad to start.

"Nino's great, isn't he?" an unfamiliar voice commented. Adrien looked up and found a pair of girls about his own age standing beside his table. One had brown hair and glasses, and the other had black hair so dark it almost shone blue in the tavern's light.

"You know him?" Adrien asked.

"He plays here most nights," the brown-haired girl answered. "I'm Alya, a messenger. You seem familiar, mister knight. What watch do you have?"

"Afternoon watch," Adrien said quickly. "Do you take messages to the palace?"

"Sometimes. You come to town much?" Adrien shook his head.

"Don't bother him with so many questions, Alya," the black-haired girl whispered. Alya turned to her friend, and Adrien focused on the other girl too. She was really cute, he realized. And well-dressed. When she noticed Adrien looking at her, her cheeks turned red and she shifted her weight nervously.

"This is Marinette," Alya told him. "She's apprenticed to a seamstress."

"Did you make the dress you're wearing?" Adrien asked. Mainette nodded hesitantly, the red of her cheeks darkening. "It's beautiful." Marinette beamed, but hid behind Alya. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"Don't worry about her; she's always like this around new people," Alya reassured him.

"You two want your usual?" Mylène asked, returning and setting a mug of cider in front of Adrien.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Alya replied. "Not sure where to sit, though. All the good tables up by Nino are taken."

"You can sit with me," Adrien offered. Alya grinned like that had been her plan all along and sat across from him, tugging Marinette to sit beside her.

"I'll be back, then," Mylène said. Then she was gone again.

Adrien hesitated, unsure what to say. The music changed; the musician was done with his warmup.

"Oh! This is Marinette's favorite song to dance to!" Alya exclaimed. Marinette squeaked and made shushing motions to her friend.

"Well, then, Marinette, can I have this dance?" Adrien asked, recognizing the tune as one of the local dances he had learned from his dance tutor, who had gone against the king secretly to teach Adrien commoners' dances as well as ballroom dances. Marinette's face blushed even darker, but Alya poked her until she nodded in agreement. Adrien stood and took the girl's hand, gently pulling her to her feet and leading her to the open space in the center of the tavern, where several other couples were already dancing.

Adrien guided Marinette to join the other dancers, and together they went through the steps of the dance. For the first few seconds, they moved awkwardly, trying to get the hang of each other's movements. Then, all at once, they seemed to sync. The two danced fluidly, Adrien guiding Marinette through spins and steering them both around the other dancing couples easily. Marinette followed his lead, completely trusting, reacting smoothly to his motions. Her blush faded, and she grinned widely as they danced. Adrien couldn't help but grin back; the joy she tok from the dance was contagious. When the song ended, the two made their way back to Alya, laughing together as they sank into their seats. Mylène had delivered Alya and Marinette's drinks during the dance.

"You two look great together!" Alya congratulated them. Marinette blushed, seeming to shrink back to her shy self in seconds. Adrien couldn't help but feel disappointed; as cute as the shy girl was, he had reveled in her joy while they danced.

Later, as he walked home, Adrien decided he would sneak into the capital, to this tavern, as often as he could. He wanted to see Marinette grin like that again.

He had never thought one little dance could bring so much happiness.

**Author's Note:**

> So I was thinking that if they had shown up in this, Chloe would be a snobby noblewoman, Sabrina would be her lady-in-waiting, Nathanael would be apprenticed to the court painter, Alix would be a messenger or a caravan guard or something, and Kim and Max would be merchants. Oh, and because I couldn't think of how to bring up his name, Ivan is the tavern owner.


End file.
